Maomao clutched her head, taking a good while to recover beneath the table.
Watching her, Lin Yu couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Haha, Maomao, if you scare that easily, you shouldn't be hiding under tables for fun."
"Come on, come out. Let me see if you broke anything."
Lin Yu gently guided Maomao out from under the table and rubbed the spot where she had bumped her head.
[Ding!]
[Spectacular maneuver. The Holy Son's genuine care has deeply touched the outer disciple of the Joyous Union Sect!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones]
At this moment.
It was supposed to be Maomao's turn to present her gift to Lin Yu and announce that he had successfully found the first person.
However, Lin Yu's gentle rubbing left Maomao in a state of flustered confusion.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Yu scanned the surroundings to see if there was anyone else nearby.
Just in case.
If there was another person hiding in the dining room, Lin Yu absolutely could not act recklessly.
Fortunately.
Everyone seemed to have silently agreed to hide in different locations.
Aside from Maomao, there was no one else to be found in the area.
Lin Yu: "It doesn't hurt anymore, right? Be a little more careful next time."
Maomao: "Mhm, Birthday Boy, congratulations..."
Lin Yu: "Maomao, let me congratulate you first!"
Maomao: "???"
Maomao had originally intended to congratulate Lin Yu on finding the first hider.
She even had the gift ready in her hands.
But now Lin Yu was suddenly congratulating her?
"Eh? Yu, you, you..."
Just as Maomao's little brain was struggling to process this.
Lin Yu suddenly grabbed her under the armpits with both hands.
Like a human forklift, he hoisted Maomao up.
And placed her onto the... gas stove behind him!
Subconsciously, Maomao clawed at the stovetop, trying to maintain her balance.
As a result.
What she grabbed was the grate on the gas stove used for holding pots.
The gas stove!!
This moment, this scene...
It seemed to form a perfect loop with a certain incident Zero had once mentioned!
Maomao: "!!!"
Maomao, who had nearly screamed, reacted instinctively by immediately covering her mouth.
This tiny movement was incredibly stimulating to Lin Yu.
Hiss!
Maomao's natural, airheaded reaction was simply tempting enough to induce criminal thoughts.
No rush, no rush.
She was already in the bowl; Lin Yu could scoop her up whenever he pleased.
"Maomao, you did a great job as the host today. You arranged everything so meticulously."
"You will definitely pass Auntie Ruxue's test."
"Congratulations in advance on gaining your independent life."
"Welcome to the group..."
"Maybe in a past life, we really were lovers, hmm?"
As he spoke.
Lin Yu poked the [Lover] name tag on Maomao's chest.
[Ding!]
[Spectacular maneuver. The Holy Son's heartfelt words have sent ripples through the outer disciple's heart!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones]
Seeing Maomao's eyes shift from clear and bright to gentle and hazy.
Lin Yu slowly leaned his face closer.
Maomao's body instantly went rigid.
It's coming!
Is it really going to happen on the gas stove?
Flustered and at a loss, Maomao wanted to push him away with her hands.
But then she thought, today is Lin Yu's birthday; he is the Birthday Boy...
And so.
Maomao simply closed her eyes and tilted her face upward.
This subtle little gesture was fully captured by Lin Yu.
The kiss that was about to land on her lips quickly changed direction.
Instead.
It landed on Maomao's forehead.
Maomao's eyes flew open, shining brightly: "!!!"
In such a trivial little action, she felt herself being treated with utmost gentleness.
When Lin Yu's gaze reappeared in Maomao's line of sight.
Maomao actually felt a sudden prickle of tears in her nose...
"Hey, Maomao, how long are you planning to stare at me?"
"I caught you, so shouldn't you give me the gift now?"
Lin Yu's voice pulled Maomao's consciousness back to reality.
Maomao's eyes cleared as she snapped out of it, saying:
"Right, yes... the gift is here."
Maomao hurriedly retrieved the gift box she had placed beside the stove.
Lin Yu had noticed this gift box earlier.
It was impossible not to notice.
Because it was truly huge!
It was a miracle it hadn't fallen directly onto the floor during the tense atmosphere just now.
The gift box was wrapped in floral paper, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Lin Yu took it and said:
"Thank you, Maomao. Can I open it now?"
Maomao nodded: "Of course."
According to the agreed-upon rules, it was indeed meant to be opened immediately.
Lin Yu tore open the floral paper, and inside was a set of...
Cooking toys for playing house!
Hiss!
It was exactly the same set that had appeared in Maomao's dream!
No wonder this thing appeared in Maomao's dream, and she had specifically asked Lin Yu to play with it with her.
It turned out that from the very beginning, this was the gift prepared for Lin Yu!
What one thinks about during the day, one dreams about at night.
What a genuine girl.
"Haha, it's actually a cooking toy set?"
"Maomao, how did you know that my childhood self also wanted a toy like this?"
Maomao asked with pleasant surprise:
"Really? I thought you wouldn't like it!"
"Wei told me that very few boys like this kind of toy."
The nurse sister was generally right about things.
A boy's childhood consists of 4WD cars, yo-yos, and game consoles.
If someone suddenly brought out a set of cooking toys in front of their buddies, they would absolutely be laughed to death by boys of the same age.
Lin Yu wagged his finger and said:
"Sister Wei just has stereotypes about boys."
"It's just that this set of toys... is indeed a bit boring to play with alone."
"I've grown up too, so it's hard to find someone who can play with me."
Maomao's eyes lit up again, and she said excitedly:
"I... I can!"
"Yu, I can accompany... accompany you to play together."
A simple little trap easily captured Maomao's heart.
Lin Yu made an "OK" gesture, then took out a greeting card and said:
"Next, it's my turn, right?"
"Maomao, only you could come up with this kind of segment."
"I'm the one having the birthday, yet I have to write cards and messages for everyone."
"Isn't this totally backward?"
Maomao looked at Lin Yu with anticipation:
"No, as someone who is always receiving gifts, I feel there should be things you want to say to the person giving the gift."
"Writing it down allows you to record the mood and feelings of that moment."
Maomao's thoughts were much as Lin Yu had guessed.
Indeed, in her life, she had always been the one receiving gifts.
Auntie Ruxue was the one who always gave gifts.
That was why Maomao designed such a segment for Lin Yu's birthday party.
As for hide-and-seek...
That was definitely Maomao's personal agenda!
The group wasn't just humoring Lin Yu by playing.
Maomao, at the very least, held a significant stake in wanting to play herself.
Lin Yu wrote quickly, penning his blessings for Maomao.
Before walking into the dining room, Lin Yu had already decided what he wanted to say to Maomao...
...
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
